Turnabout Snapshots
by LemonSmoothie
Summary: A collection of short fics, mostly slice-of-life narratives. Ratings will vary, but none will go above T.
1. The Paths We Chose

Turnabout Snapshots

Author's Note: This fic is a collection of shorts. They will mostly be about the minor characters, though some major ones will show up. This collection will be spoiler-free in regards to Gyakuten Kenji 2.

Disclaimer: All characters from the Ace Attorney series are copyright Capcom. Fic made with no profit motive and out of love for the games. Original characters are mine.

Title: The Paths We Chose

Rating: K+

Characters: Clay Terran, Apollo Justice

Spoilers: Dual Destinies (minor)

Time: Clay and Apollo are in college at this point.

My name is Clay Terran. I'm a second year student at Besseldorf College majoring in Astronomy, with an emphasis on space exploration. After I finish my degree, I hope to join the staff at the Cosmos Space Center and become an astronaut.

Except there's a huge roadblock between now and there, namely Finals. The bane of every college student's existence.

At least I consider myself lucky in that I've got friends to study and be miserable with. For the moment, the three of us – myself and my friends Apollo Justice and Petro Glif – were sitting in a booth at the local Burger Meister, chowing down on burgers and fries. Our bags were by our sides, stuffed full of notes and textbooks. We planned to go to my house to study after dinner.

Apollo's been my best friend since junior high. He plans to go on to law school after college, and in terms of credit hours is way ahead of both Petro and me.

Petro's major is geology, with an emphasis on geophysics. Since geophysics requires some math and physics classes like the astronomy major, there's some overlap with my curriculum. This semester, we're both in Linear Algebra and Dynamics of Particles and Waves. Petro and Apollo are in the same Latin classes.

If I had to describe the three of us with one word each, I'd say I'm an optimist, Apollo a pragmatic, and Petro a pessimist.

Speaking of which…

"So when do lawyers sell their soul to the Devil?" Petro asked. "Upon graduation from law school?"

"Not all lawyers are bad!" Apollo insisted.

"That is true," Petro said. "But ever notice something? That something bad inevitably happens to the ones who aren't evil? Remember Phoenix Wright? You don't honestly believe a straight arrow like him forged evidence? It stinks of a set-up. But who'd be good enough to set him up and get away with it? An evil lawyer!"

"An…evil lawyer?" Apollo asked.

"Why else do you think he was disbarred so fast?" Petro said. "He was a threat, so he had to be neutralized."

"Conspiracy theories, Petro?" I asked. "Next you'll be claiming the moon landing was faked."

"How about this?" Petro continued. "Before Phoenix Wright, there was this amazing defense attorney. Many say he was the best there ever was. Gregory Edgeworth, who ended up shot to death in an elevator."

"Yes, that was one of Phoenix Wright's cases," Apollo observed.

"Then you know it was Manfred von Karma," Petro replied. "And you also know von Karma arranged for the death of at least one other defense attorney. Doesn't take much to see a pattern there. The evil lawyers kill or discredit anyone who threatens their supremacy."

"But von Karma is long dead," Apollo argued.

"Dead, yes, but can you really say he's gone?" Petro sipped his coffee. "My advice to you, Apollo. Either become evil or learn to sleep with one eye open."

"Nothing bad is going to happen to Apollo," I said. "I won't let it!"

"I just realized something, Petro," Apollo said. He smirked. "You say lawyers are evil, but aren't you going to be a geophysicist? You'll be working for an oil company. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black!"

Petro flushed. "All right, I'll stop. Don't want to be a hypocrite, after all."

"Never knew you were a fan of Phoenix Wright," Apollo said.

"Well, um…" Petro was trying to pour himself a fresh cup of coffee, but spilled it. He winced and grabbed some napkins and tried to mop up the spill. His hand bumped against the creamer, which wobbled precariously, but did not topple. "There's a…reason for that."

"Your face is all red," I commented.

"It is," Apollo cried. "Putting my shirt to shame." He brushed the crumbs off his vermillion polo.

"Ngh," Petro said. "Er…how was the movie last night?"

"You're so obviously changing the subject," I said. "How was the lecture you went to instead of the movie?"

Petro's face returned to his normal color, and his eyes lit up. "You should have been there!" And that little voice in the back of my mind echoed: _Yeah, he's your father, and you should have been there for support. This was only the thing he's been working on for twenty-five years… _

Apollo must have noticed my discomfort, because he patted my shoulder.

"Clay, your dad is so amazing!" Petro was beaming. I'm sure my face looked like that when I met Solomon Starbuck for the first time. "I started to cry! It was that good! He has this sixth sense for earthquakes that is uncanny!"

He's right about that. It frightened me the first time I witnessed it firsthand. How his face got all serious and he said tonelessly, "An earthquake is coming. I can feel it." (Give me a break. I was five.)

I wanted to ask, "Want to switch fathers?" Jokingly. But I just couldn't say it. Because I'd be too tempted to add: _He'd be happy you want to follow in his footsteps. Because he can't fathom why his only son wants to go into space and leave the planet he's devoted his whole life to studying._

_You know that isn't the real reason, _my conscience screamed at me_. He hasn't trusted fast-moving vehicles since your mom's accident…and what moves faster than a rocket ship? He can't protect you out there, and it would kill him to lose you too. _

"I'm so stuffed," Apollo said. He used one hand to stifle a burp.

"Good," I said. "Then you won't get hungry later."

Apollo nodded furiously in agreement. After all, he was there last week when my dad somehow produced a stockpot of unidentifiable gelatinous green…gunk. And no, he wasn't trying to make gelatin. He was trying to make _soup_. I love him, but he just won't give up. Even when he's out of his depth, like cooking. He once tried to make my mom's specialty pineapple upside-down cake for my birthday. The fire department was not pleased.

Of course, I won't tell Petro about that. Can't destroy his image of his beloved idol.

I've never met Petro's parents. He lives in a tiny, overpriced apartment just off campus. Apollo still lives with his adoptive parents, the Justices. Dr. Justice is a philosophy professor at Besseldorf, just like my dad is a geology professor there. That's why Apollo and I enrolled there. We got our tuition free.

Anyway, Dr. Justice is nice, even if he's a bit…button-down. Okay, more than a bit. He's been nothing but supportive to Apollo and his dream of becoming a great lawyer.

And of course, my father wants me to pursue my dream, even if it scares him. Besides, he studies earthquakes for a living. I'm not necessarily safe here on Earth. I know he'll understand that, even if he doesn't admit it outright.

The all-nighter we're about to pull won't be fun, but it will be worth it in the end. At the end, we'll be a geophysicist, a lawyer, and an astronaut. Because those are the paths we have chosen.

The End


	2. Like Mother, Like Daughter

Title: Like Mother, Like Daughter

Rating: K+

Characters: Metis and Athena Cykes, Simon and Aura Blackquill

Spoilers: Dual Destinies

Time: Some point before the UR-1 incident 

"Damn it, Metis!" Aura sighed. "I told you to put taps on your zori."

"I forgot," Metis said. She was sitting at the base of the wooden ladder she had just tried to use. "Ow," she said upon trying to get to her feet.

"You might have broken something," Aura said, looking pointedly at Metis' already swollen and completely ecchymotic left ankle. Aura kneeled down. "Get on my back."

"I could just use your shoulder," Metis replied.

"Nope. You disregarded my advice once today and look where it got you," Aura said. "We're going to the Imaging Lab to get your foot X-rayed. If there's a fracture, you're going to the ER." Working in a state of the art research facility did have its advantages.

Metis shrugged, but complied with Aura's request. "Sure you can carry me?"

"You're not heavy at all," Aura snapped. "I'm stronger than I look, you know." She kicked open the records room door and started down the hall. "You do carry the rest of us, so let someone return the favor."

"You could let one of the robots carry me," Metis countered.

"The edges of bone fragments are sharp and can slide around. I don't think they're quite up to keeping your foot still. You are keeping it still, aren't you?"

"As still as I can," Metis said.

Someone turned the corner and stopped in front of them. It was Aura's brother, Simon. Metis' young daughter, Athena, was riding on his back.

"Look, Simon," Athena said. "Mama's getting a piggyback ride too!"

"Metis slipped on a ladder," Aura explained. "What's your excuse? That you're just whipped?"

"This one scraped her knee playing," Simon answered. "I'm looking for some alcohol and cotton to clean the injury. I suppose clumsiness really is genetic."

"Hey!" Metis and Athena snapped in unison.


	3. The First Day

Title: The First Day

Rating: K+

Characters: Clay Terran, Solomon Starbuck, Aura Blackquill

Spoilers? Dual Destinies

Time: Two or three years before Dual Destinies. It's my headcanon that Clay got a bachelor's in astronomy before being hired at the Space Center. Therefore, this mini takes place after "The Paths We Chose."

"It's finally sinking in," Clay Terran said, looking at the mail slot with the name tag _C. Terran. _"I belong here. I _work _here."

"You look like a kid in a candy store," Solomon Starbuck said.

"I feel like one," Clay said, beaming. "And we've barely begun!"

"As I was saying," Starbuck said. "This is where you'll pick up your mail." He checked his own mail slot. "Hmm. Milly's running late."

The door to the mail room opened. A petite woman, dressed in a light gray suit, entered. Her face was blocked by the huge stack of packages and letters she was carrying in. "Sorry, sorry! Miss Blackquill wanted her mail first thing in the morning! And you know how she is!" The woman dumped the stack of mail on a nearby table. She turned to Clay and Starbuck. "Yipe!"

Clay looked at her. "Milly Pede?"

Milly looked back at him. It took her thirty seconds, but she finally replied. "…Clay Terran?!"

"What are you doing here?!" They asked in unison.

"You two know each other?" Starbuck asked.

"We went to high school together," Clay explained. "She was actually Apollo's prom date."

Milly flushed. "I'd much rather forget that. How his father kept making him present my corsage over and over because he didn't do it 'right.' And how Apollo wasn't allowed to hold my hand, even though I was wearing gloves! What did he think? That I was going to contaminate his son?! That was not fun. I have an excellent idea. Let's change the subject. Why are you here?"

"I just got hired," Clay said. "Space Exploration Department. Today's my first day."

"I see," Milly said. "I'm the sole member of the Shipping and Receiving Department, and I handle all the mail. Including all the interdepartmental mail. Word of warning, the people here are absolutely passive-aggressive, so expect to get interdepartmental bulletins from anyone not in Space Exploration…"

"PEDE!" A feminine but brusque voice echoed from the hall outside. An imposing woman clad in a futuristic white leather bodysuit and pink tights stormed in. Her lavender hair was styled in two conical buns pinned to the back of her head. She wore a pair of translucent blue goggles, which were doing nothing to reduce her glare. "You gave me the wrong memos from Cosmos! Again! What is it? Fifth time this month!" She threw a pile of envelopes at Milly's feet. "Idiot!"

"I'm sorry, Miss Blackquill," Milly said, getting on her knees to pick up the tossed mail. She looked like she was groveling before the older woman. "Director Cosmos' handwriting is hard to read!"

"I'll grant you that. I can't tell if the man is writing in code, or just can't write!" The woman laughed and smacked the table, making the pile of mail bounce comically. She turned to Starbuck and Clay. "Starbuck, you've got something stuck on your shoe. Oh, it's just the new hire. Admit it, Terran. You were pretty much a fixture here anyway."

"Ah, you remember him, Aura?" Starbuck asked.

"I never forget a face," Aura replied. "Or terminal bedhead. Though you seem to be missing something. Where's your other half?"

"Busy, about to become the greatest lawyer in the city, so it's just me for now," Clay replied. He stuck his hand out. "Glad to be on board here."

Aura looked hesitant, but shook Clay's hand politely. "Tone down the nauseating enthusiasm, and I think we'll get along fine."

"Sorry," Clay said. "I'm just so excited. Weren't you? When you first started?"

"Yes, but that was a long time ago," Aura replied. "I got older. Starbuck can tell you more. About how dreams fade and disappointment sets in."

Starbuck jumped as if startled, but said nothing.

"Yay!" Milly had been digging through the stack of envelopes while the others were talking. She held out a few to Aura triumphantly. "I found them! I hope."

Aura tore them open and examined the contents. "Yes, these are the right ones. Hate to leave this welcoming committee, but the robotics technicians upstairs are absolutely hopeless without me. Good luck, newbie. You'll need it." She turned on her heel and walked off.

"Phew," Milly said. "She was in a _good_ mood today! Oh, Clay, another piece of advice. Don't set 'Rocket Man' as your ringtone. Whenever a cell rings in Space Exploration, everyone checks their phones."

"You have to admit it is pretty funny to watch," Starbuck said. "I have Carole King's 'Spaceship Races' myself."

"My dad the earthquake expert has 'I Feel the Earth Move,'" Clay replied.

"That wins," Starbuck said simply.

The End

Author's Note: Yay, Starbuck! Even if he was pretty much the straight man to bitter and angry Aura, ditzy one-shot OC, and bubbly Clay.


	4. A Bedtime Story

Title: A Bedtime Story

Rating: K+

Characters: Aura and Simon Blackquill

Spoilers: Dual Destinies (very minor)

Time: Twenty three years before Dual Destinies. Simon is five and Aura is fourteen.

XXX

A young Aura Blackquill was in her bedroom, poring over some brochures for colleges.

There was a knock on her door.

"It's open," Aura replied absently.

"Aura, my bright star…" Aura's visitor said sweetly.

"Father?" Aura looked up from the spread of brochures on her desk. "What do you want?"

Aurelius Blackquill looked at her pleadingly. "Can you read your brother a bedtime story?"

"WHAT?!"

"I tried reading him one, but he said I was doing it wrong. I think he wants to hear a feminine voice."

"Couldn't you call Mom?" Aura's mother was currently at some sort of symposium. "She's got a laptop. She could read him a story from the internet over the phone."

"Her conference is three time zones away. She's in bed by now."

Aura groaned. "Can't he go to bed without a story?"

"All right, you tell him. I'm still nursing scratches from Yeats."

Yeats was a merlin that their mother had given Simon as a gift for his fifth birthday a month before. That bird had warmed up to Simon a little too much. It was cute to see that glorified feather duster defend his master with the ferocity of a bulldog, if saccharine.

Aura yanked one of her conical buns in frustration. "I ought to build a robot replica of Mom. Have her pre-record bedtime stories, and have the robot play the recordings."

"…That sounds a little extreme," Aurelius said.

"Think about it, Father," Aura said cheerfully. "Pre-recorded children's stories in robots. The marketing possibilities are endless: libraries, schools…"

"Didn't you say something similar about the robot dinosaurs for museums? More interactive and educational than fiberglass models and fossils?"

"What of it, Father?"

"The Smithsonian hung up on you, didn't they?"

"They just didn't comprehend the practicality of it." Aura shook her head. "Let's just get this over with."

XXX

"All right, Simon," Aura said, walking into her brother's darkened bedroom. "I'm going to read you a story, so get comfortable."

Simon was sitting at the edge of the bed, holding a book of short stories. He was wearing a pajama top and matching bottoms. The fabric had a print of black birds on a gray background. "Mama was reading to me from this book."

"So I just pick one to read? Sounds simple enough." Aura switched on the lamp so she could read. She took the book and opened it to the table of contents. After a quick look at the story titles, she settled on one. "How about this one? 'The Loyal Samurai'?"

"I haven't heard that one yet," he said.

Aura sat on the chair beside the nightstand and began to read:

"_Long ago, in a far away land, there lived a lord. He had seven loyal samurai to defend him. He loved all seven as though they were his sons, but loved one above all. The lord ruled his domain justly, and even the poor praised his name. _

_ The lord's wife had passed away long ago. And of the lord's many children, only one was still alive. A little girl, of seven years. _

_ However, the lord was worried, for he saw fire in the distance. There were rumors of a vicious warlord, who commanded a fierce and mighty army. The warlord left nothing but ruin in his wake. The lord knew his seven samurai would never stand a chance. And every day, the smoke in the distance appeared closer. _

_ So he met with his favorite samurai, and asked him for one favor. To take the lord's daughter through the nearby Mysterious Forest: "At the end of the forest is a plain, where there is a single cottage. Wait there for three days, and return with her." _

_ "My lord," the Samurai replied. "No one who has ever entered the Mysterious Forest and returned. To take her there would mean her death." _

_ The lord smiled sadly. "It is her only hope. If you truly trust me, you will do this. I can only hope it makes sense in the end." _

_ "I believe you," the Samurai said. "I shall not fail." _

_ So the Samurai set out with the lord's daughter. The forest was thick, and dark. The girl clutched his hand and sobbed. He wiped her tears with his handkerchief._

_ The brush was thick, so the Samurai laboriously sliced through it with his sword. _

_ The girl grew exhausted, so the Samurai carried her through the forest. _

_ Night fell. The Samurai pressed on. _

_ Finally, the forest ended just as the sun rose. There was a beautiful, calm, green plain. The Samurai, tired himself from his journey, saw the cottage his lord mentioned. He knocked on the door. _

_ A beautiful woman answered the door and happily welcomed the little girl and her protector. _

_ Three days passed uneventfully. The little girl helped the woman tend to her garden. The Samurai worried about his lord and brethren. _

_ "I must take my leave, though I am in your debt for your hospitality," the Samurai said to the woman. He and the girl left the house and ventured through the Mysterious Forest once more. This time, the forest was calm and tranquil. _

_ On the other side of the forest, the land was calm and tranquil. _

_ The samurai recognized his lord's castle, though it appeared to have been partially rebuilt. He approached the castle, and saw an old man._

_ The old man looked overjoyed. He called the Samurai by name. _

_ "Do I know you, sir?" the Samurai asked. _

_ The man explained. He was the Samurai's lord. Thirty years had gone by. With grave sadness, the lord explained that the remaining six samurai had defended the domain. They were dead, but the last one killed the evil warlord before succumbing to his own injuries. _

_ "How could thirty years pass in three days? How could the last samurai even reach the evil warlord?" _

_ "While you perceived it to be three days, it was in actuality thirty years," the lord explained. "The Mysterious Forest is a path to the domain of the gods, where for every day that passes there, ten years pass in our world. It was protected by demons. Your pure heart and resolve scared the demons. Because of that, the gods passed favor on your homeland. The enemy army was decimated by plagues and other disasters, and the six samurai slew the rest. Peace was achieved. But my wish was for my daughter to live a peaceful life, and for me to see her one last time before I died. She does not have to suffer through thirty long years of war and restoration. Thank you." And with that, the lord died. _

_ The young girl did not comprehend death, but she understood her father was lost forever, so she wept. The samurai comforted her. The End. _

Tears streamed down Simon's face and he sobbed loudly.

Aura lowered the book and set it on the nightstand. "What's the matter? Why are you crying?!"

"It's too sad! The Samurai never got to say goodbye to his friends, and he met his lord again just to watch him die! And now the girl's all alone because her siblings and parents are dead! Why couldn't the gods have helped the kingdom without that stupid test? Why did peace have to come at such a price?! I hate it!"

Aura sighed. _It was stupid of me to pick this story without reading it first. Just because Simon likes samurai stories._ "Simon?"

"What?" Simon asked, tears still streaming down his face.

"How about I give you twenty bucks not to tell Mom I made you cry?"

"You're bribing me, Aura?!"

Aura crossed her arms. "Would you rather I bribe you with a spanking?"

"No, but I'd like some ice cream in addition to the twenty dollars," Simon said with a smirk.

"You drive a hard bargain," Aura said. "But you've got a deal." She extended her hand, which Simon shook.

"Good night, Aura," Simon said.

"Pleasant dreams, Simon," Aura replied. "You earned it. Ever consider going into business when you grow up?"

"No way!" Simon laughed. "I'm going to be a samurai!"

The End

Author's Note: "The Loyal Samurai" was directly inspired by Wilhelm Grimm's "Dear Mili."

And yeah, Yeats was the precursor to Taka. I thought a merlin suited Simon as much as a hawk.

I know I seem to be focusing on the Blackquill siblings, but the next few sketches will have some different characters. Stay tuned, and I hope you enjoyed the piece.


End file.
